Indian Saffron Rice

86 Reviews

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Ready In: 25 min

“Indian saffron is richer, darker in its red-orange color then the Spanish or Italian, and gives a better flavor to rice. The saffron should always be steeped in hot water ahead of time and used as part of the liquid in the recipe. The following is a recipe prepared in the Indian manner.” - by CookingForDummies

Ingredients

1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, not rinsed
1 teaspoon salt

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Original recipe yields 6 servings

Directions

Steep the saffron in 1/2 cup boiling water.
In a skillet that can be tightly covered, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice begins to absorb the butter and becomes opaque, but do not brown the rice.
Quickly pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups boiling water along with the saffron water. Cover immediately, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. For best results, do not remove the lid while the rice is cooking.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (6 total)

Calories
154 cal
8%

Fat
4.1 g
6%

Carbs
26.1 g
8%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Reviews (86)

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118

naples34102

Jul. 31, 2008

"Good recipe, but unnecessarily complicated. The saffron does not need to be steeped separately, nor does the water have to be boiling in order to turn out perfectly cooked and fluffy rice. I used saff..." See moreron threads to taste, and chicken broth rather than water. This is a perfect, pretty and understated rice side dish to complement spicier meats or main dishes. "

117

luv2cook

Jan. 30, 2008

"I used Basmati rice, replaced the water with chicken stock and added a cinnamon stick. I first heated about a 1/4 cup of stock with the saffron in the microwave for about 2 mins. Let it set for abou..." See moret 5 mins. Added everything to my rice cooker and let stand on "warm" for about 1/2 hour. This allowed the flavors to really settle in before turning on to cook. Rice came out bright and colorful. At the end added some frozen peas/carrots that had been defrosted in the microwave. "

108

SAK

Nov. 1, 2006

"Like several others, I used saffron threads instead of powder. I steeped the saffron in 1/2c room temp. white wine. I used chicken bullion (veg. stock would also be a good substitute) for the remain..." See moreing 1 1/2c liquid. Both these additions added a good amount of flavor to the rice."

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